“Early adolescence hit him especially hard, scrambling his face into nothing you could call cute,… couldn’t make friends for the life of him, too dorky, too shy, and too weird.” (page16-17)

In this sentence, Junot Diaz is describing the drastic change the protagonist, Oscar Wao, goes through. He talks about how Oscar got fat and develops a face full of zits. His confidence drops and he doesn’t kiss or speak to a girl in the longest time. Girls would avoid him and find him disgusting. Diaz uses the words “hit him especially hard” to emphasis the affect adolescence and puberty had on him. He goes on to talk about the physical change in appearance, as well as the personality change. Oscar becomes an introvert with this low level of self-esteem. The concept of puberty is incorporated a lot in the beginning of the novel. Diaz also talks about how Olga and Maritza have grown and changed with puberty. This sentence is incorporated and relevant to the text as a whole because this change with adolescence is the reason Oscar’s life becomes what it is. He has difficulty with girls and love because of his appearance. He doesn’t really make friends, and his confidence level drops drastically. This change affects the rest of his life.

” I could literally smell his sweat, hear every ragged breath, every cry, every cut of the whip…My stomach heaved, and I had to force myself to stay where I was and keep quiet. Why didn’t they stop!” (p36)

In this scene, the patrols are physically tormenting and abusing the father of Alice, in front of his wife and daughter. Dana alway witnesses this beating, but by accident. No one knows she’s there in the bushes watching. She talks about how intense and brutal the whipping was. The man is laying there getting shamed in front of his family. She says she can “hear every ragged breath”. It was so intense that it was a challenge for her to stay still and stay quiet. It was unbearable to watch, nothing like she’s ever seen in the movies. She describes it at as her being “far less prepared for the reality of it”. With the last line in that quote, “why didn’t they stop!”, Dana is expressing a sense of confusion. She wasn’t from that time period or area so she had no idea who these white men were and what there motives were for brutalizing this man.

This quote relates to the text as a whole because it is the first encounter she has with slaves ever and she gets to experience what they go through on a daily basis. She is from more than a century later, and she lives in California, whereas Rufus and Alice lived in Maryland. Slavery has been abolished by then. Shortly after, Dana is also spotted by the patrol in front of Alice’s home and receives the same treatment, with the addition of almost getting raped.

“Your friendship has shed a ray of light on my solitary way, and though removed from the influence of you immediate presence, I exist only in hope of seeing you again” (Letter V., page 79)

I found this line in the text very interesting because it is the first time the writer of the letters gets into depth about who she is writing to and the significance of that person in her life. When she says “solitary way”, she is talking about her existing alone, her companionless life. The friendship she has with this man she is referring to, Colonel Burr, has lightened up her life a little bit, and has brought her some type of joy. She continues to acknowledge that they have been separated, but mentions that her main concern is reuniting with this man soon, and that she “exists only in the hope of seeing you again”.

This line relates back to the text as a whole because she talks about her previous life and history with this man, prior to this line. She mentions her being an orphan, without any friends or family around her, with little hope or faith in life itself. Then, this man’s care saves her. He rescues her and raises her, an act that she will forever be grateful for. She calls their friendship “so necessary to my happiness that the idea of losing you is insupportable”.  He must be of great importance to her if she is writing all these letters to him.

“You taught me language, and my profit on’t
Is I know how to curse. The red plague rid you
For learning me your language!” (Act 1 scene 2 line 437-439)

 
This line from the play comes from Caliban speaking to Miranda and Prospero. Prospero has just accused Caliban of raping his daughter. In this line, Caliban is defending himself and expressing the anger that has been building inside of him towards Prospero for conquering the island that his mother left for him. He talks about how the only thing he gained from their teachings of their language is how to curse and he explains how he can easily use what they taught him against them. This quote by Caliban can be looked at as a rebellious and brave act, considering Prospero is his master and he can easily use magic to inflict pain on Caliban.

This line is relevant to the play as a whole because Caliban later has thoughts of revenge. This scene is just the beginning of this anger build up towards Prospero, and Caliban does soon take action. As soon as Stephano and Trinculo arrive on the island, he talks about worshipping Stephano and killing Prospero in the process. This is the first time Caliban has thoughts of having a shift of power on the island he claims belonged to him. They continue with this plan and attempt to go through with it, only to be stopped by Ariel of course. This craving of vengeance towards Prospero can relate back to Caliban’s line in the first scene where he does rebel for the first time.

“Of anything they have, if you ask them for it, they never say no; rather they invite the person to share it, and show as much love as if they were giving their hearts, and whether the thing be of value or of small price, at once they are content with whatever little thing of whatever kind may be given to them.” (page 28)

This quote comes from a letter from Christopher Columbus to Ferdinand and Isabella, King and Queen of Spain addressing his discoveries and interpretation of the new world.

This sentence stuck out to me the most because it shows a direct interpretation of character. Here Columbus shares his point of view about how he sees the natives. He immediately notices that they have no weapons or ability to use any; that they are completely harmless. He mentions their appearance as well as this very timid and loving trait that they possess. He is quite surprised at how welcoming they were towards him. He was also surprised at how thankful and excited they got over useless items such as broken hoops of the wine casks. Because of this kindness he sees in the natives, he goes on to strategize how he believes that he can easily take advantage of them. He suggests giving them jewels and other valuables hoping for their fondness of him and their cooperation to give him abundances that he needs and that he can bring back to his country.